Five Reasons
by Gindokei
Summary: Five reasons for Ed and Al Elric to cherish the third of October. Set post-manga, no major spoilers. Fluff! Happy FMA Day!


_Five Reasons_

**AN: My FMA day fic. Probably a very overdone concept, but I like how it came out! This is basically five different things that all happened on the 3rd of October. It isn't always explicitly stated, so I thought I'd say it up front.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Fullmetal Alchemist**_**!**

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"Ed?" Winry peered into the living room, surprised to see the familiar shape sprawled across the sofa. "Why are you still here? Al left already."

"Mmmgh?" Edward grunted in reply, his words unintelligibly muffled by the book across his face. He sat up and plucked the thin volume off his face, scrunching up his nose. "Oh, he did, huh?"

Winry's eyebrows rose. "Yeah. Why aren't you with him? It's an important day, isn't it?"

Edward stared moodily at the book in his hands. "I… I decided not to do that anymore."

Winry cocked her head in bemusement. "But… why not? There's nothing wrong with remembering the past, Ed," she replied gently as she moved across the room to sit next to him. "I know everything's been set right now, but that day was a turning point in your life – there's no shame in commemorating it, once a year." She took the book out of his hands – since when did Ed read _Simple Recipes for Housewives_, anyway? – and stared at him levelly. "Come on. I'll go with you, if you want."

The young man started. "What?"

Winry's face warmed. "Never mind," she muttered. "It was just a suggestion. I mean, it's important to you and Al – you probably don't need me there."

Edward harrumphed. "Don't ever think that," he grumbled. "Don't ever think that we don't need you, you idiot."

She smiled. "I know, Ed."

He leaned forward, looking fidgety. "Will you really come with me?" he asked gruffly. Winry nodded and set the cookbook aside. Edward sighed and swung his legs off the couch.

"Come on, then." He extended a hand towards her. "And just so you know? I need you everywhere."

_How had he managed to discover something so beautiful on the day he thought they'd lost everything_

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Xing's scorching sun beat down on the young, golden-haired man's head. Alphonse Elric stifled the urge to pant like a dog as he kept his attention tuned on the elderly woman in front of him. Ha-Minn had become a good friend, and her advice was always spot-on.

"No, no." The old woman shook her head, her wrinkled face displaying her disapproval. "You don't understand, young man. Xing is not Amestris – you cannot do things so spontaneously here. You must talk to her mother first. That is what would be right."

Alphonse nodded tiredly. "I understand, Ha-Minn, I really do – and I want to do this right. I want her to be happy, more than anything else."

Ha-Minn's cheeks rose as she smiled. "You are a dedicated young man, Alphonse-kun," she spoke affectionately. "I have no doubt that you have the best of intentions. She will be very happy – I think she has been waiting for this for a long time."

Alphonse sighed softly. Xing was a country dictated by manners and courtesies, more than anything else – it was a much politer nation than Amestris, and there were a thousand different delicate matters that he continuously had to deal with. At first, he had found it tiring – but eventually, he rose to the challenge and was always pleased when he was complimented by a native Xingese on his immaculate manners. It was one of the highest forms of praise.

"So I go see her mother, and I… what? Discuss something like this – like a _business proposition_?" Alphonse knew that he was violating the code of conduct that was deeply ingrained in the Xingese psyche, but the entire idea of talking to Mei's mother – talking about Mei as if she wasn't a living, breathing person with feelings – it sickened him. He knew Mei's mother liked him very much, and that she would probably agree – but he wanted Mei to hear the words from _his_ mouth, not from her mother's.

Ha-Minn's eyes crinkled. "Our ways might seem difficult to you, Alphonse-kun – they might seem strange and alien and repulsive, but this is how it is done in Xing. This is what a man does."

Alphonse rubbed one hand across his face. "I understand, Ha-Minn," he spoke softly. "I'll contact her right away."

"You'll do no such thing." Alphonse's head jerked in the direction of the open doorway, and his cheeks warmed as he saw the petite, raven-haired woman standing there.

"Mei?" The sight of the beautiful young woman always made his heart skip a beat, but her words confused him. "Isn't… isn't this what you want?"

Mei Chang rolled her eyes. "I will _not_ let you ask my mother if you can marry me," she spoke firmly. Her time in Amestris, coupled with her headstrong personality, had obviously made her quite vocal about her opinions.

Alphonse's face fell. "You don't want to marry me?" It wasn't like him to simply jump to conclusions – that was more of Edward's style – but he wanted this more than anything, and Mei's disapproval(whatever it might be of) stung harshly.

Ha-Minn grinned crookedly as Mei came forward and kneeled in front of her lover. "Stop being ridiculous," she spoke gently. "You know that isn't true. But I want to do this _properly_."

Alphonse's eyes blazed with happiness as they met hers. He leaned closer, until his forehead was resting against hers. Ha-Minn averted her eyes, uneager to see the effect of hormones, but Alphonse didn't kiss Mei. Instead, he whispered four words that made _Mei_ reach out and kiss him soundly.

"Will you marry me?"

_and a day that had begun the biggest secret of them all ended up being the day he swore never, ever to keep any secrets from her – _

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"I'm so happy for you," Winry spoke softly. "And I'm so happy for General Mustang as well. You look stunning, miss Riza."

Riza Hawkeye smiled gently at the young woman as Winry fussed with her train. "Thank you, Winry. You can leave that tulle alone," she added, looking amused as Winry flushed and dropped the gauzy material.

"Sorry."

Riza shook her head, indicating that there was no need for an apology. Winry gazed at the beautiful woman in front of her – clad in pristine white, her shoulder-length golden hair left free – and felt an ache of happiness and sadness combined in her chest. Riza looked like an angel.

"Do you know something, miss Riza?" Winry spoke suddenly. "Today is a very important day for two particular inhabitants of Resembool. I just want to say… to say that, I think this day will become a lot happier for them now. Whether they admit it or not."

Riza's secretive smile made Winry suspicious. The stern-faced woman didn't often look so gleeful. "I know," she confided in her young lady friend quietly. "Alphonse told us about it a while ago. Edward, as you can imagine, was quite upset." She tilted her head to one side. "But do you know something, Winry? I don't think that day changed just their lives. I think it changed yours, and your grandmother's, and ours too. So I'm glad to bring a little more joy to this day. Roy decided on the wedding date, and I agreed wholeheartedly. Those boys need to realize that pain is not all that there is to remember."

Winry had tears in her eyes as she embraced the older woman. "You are beautiful, miss Riza."

_the day that had been thought of as an ending suddenly became a day of beginning._

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"Ed?" Winry's voice quivered. "I have something to tell you."

Edward looked questioningly at his wife of one year. "What is it?" he asked, truly perplexed by the expression on Winry's face – anxiety, joy and uncertainty, all at once. Winry, still clad in her nightgown, moved across the room to settle down on the bed next to him.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out. Edward made a conscious effort to look utterly surprised, and widened his eyes dramatically.

"Pregnant? Really? Are you sure?"

Winry narrowed her eyes at him. "You are a very bad actor," she informed her husband stiffly. "Would you please tell me how on earth you found out? It's not like I've started gaining the extra weight yet."

Edward laughed and pulled her close in a fit of impulsiveness. Winry squeaked in surprise as the top of her head collided with his chin. Both of them winced.

"The doctor called a half hour with the results of your pregnancy test," he told her, grinning widely. "I was sort of pissed, to be honest. I wanted to hear it from _you_ first."

Winry snuggled against him, ignoring his heated blush and fidgeting. "You're going to be an amazing dad, Ed."

_It was time to make new memories,_

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Mei's loud screams made Edward wince. His younger brother was inside the birthing room, a qualified doctor by his side while Winry gripped Edward's hand tightly. Her wide blue eyes told him that she was equally glad to be sitting outside.

Inside the room, Mei's body underwent a series of spasms as she wailed loudly. Alphonse clutched her hands desperately, muttering prayers under his breath. The doctor tried to soothe Mei by advising her to breathe deeply and regularly, but Alphonse could see that his wife was in no mood to listen to the doctor's advice. Alphonse kissed her hand reassuringly and swore to never have children again.

Finally, the ordeal was over, and the ebony-haired infant was placed in the tired mother's lap. Mei's drawn face glowed with joy as she cradled the swaddled bundle to her chest. Alphonse's heart and throat were too full for him to speak, but he hugged both of them tightly and left to let everyone else know about the child.

It was only when he placed his hand on the doorknob that he realized what date it was.

_time to realize that while pain was a part of life, joy was, too – and that the two could be mixed, were often mixed._

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**AN: 1,638 words.**


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